United plane allowed to fly without repairs

Typical.... OPS CHECK OK, and send us on our way. Pilots need to be the last line of "defense" when it comes to this sort of thing. I've refused a plane several times and have been pushed by the chief pilot, but it just wasn't safe. Mx needs to get it together, and airlines need to quit being cheap.

The U.S. enjoys by far the most safe air transportation system in the world, including Europe, that is why so few accidents occur. Let's keep it that way.

Seeing how Boeing Jets run anywhere from 50 to 300 million dollars apiece, I would say cheap is hardly the word I would use here. It is a balancing act, from a corporate perspective, to try and manage risk and the possibility of profit. When air travel is operating at a less profitable load factor, risk increases. Add to that the escalating costs to operate a flight and low cost(high risk) competition, the profit margins go way down. The public cries foul when prices go up, and then they cry foul when risk increases. As a pilot, surely you understand how important it is for you to get a paycheck? Or maybe you would also like to cry foul at how you are worth much more than what you are paid?

What's the tail number of this aircraft?

if i was a pilot i would request that the problem gets fixed before i put it in the air no matter what the cost is and avert an emegerency landing anywhere

So Alan you would take 112 lives, plus say 3 flight attendants and your Co-pilot in your hands with a broken plane to make the company more money?

In a perfect world... no.. However, the world we live in is far from perfect. I see your point. You want to make this personal and I would say if it were my personal choice then I would rather not risk any one's life. Ryan's point was that this decision should be made by pilots. I respectfully disagree. I know pilots that will refuse to fly if the lav door won't stay shut. So I've twisted the scenario. Whould you take 116 lives into your hands with a broken lav door?

Again an old 757. American has had its share of problems including a 2ft x 1 ft. hole that blew open after taking off from MIA. My contention is that all 757s with more that 30K hours and/or 20+ years of service should be thoroughly inspected. Yes, I know, I am going to be told that number of years mean nothing, but it does and you will remember the Aloha 737-200 that became a convertible when the entire top of the fuselage blew open.